Books like 'The Book of Boy'
Readers who enjoyed The Book of Boy by Catherine Gilbert Murdock also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
historical fantasy action / adventure supernatural mystery historical-fiction medieval children religion magical-realism
-
Boy's Life by Robert McCammon
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 42 ratingsAn Alabama boy’s innocence is shaken by murder and madness in the 1960s South in this novel by the New York Times–bestselling author of Swan Song. It’s 1964 in idyllic Zephyr, Alabama. People either work for the paper mill up the Tecumseh River, or for the local dairy. It’s a simple life, but it stirs the impressionable imagination of twelve-year-old aspiring writer Cory Mackenson...Categorized as:
children coming-of-age family friendship historical-fiction magic magical-realism 20th-century -
The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 73 ratingsMoscow, 1929: a city that has lost its way amid corruption and fear, inhabited by people who have abandoned their morals and forsaken spirituality. But when a mysterious stranger arrives in town with a bizarre entourage that includes a giant talking cat and a fanged assassin, all hell breaks loose...Categorized as:
animals historical-fiction journey magic magical-realism religion spirituality 20th-century -
The Lady of the Loch by Elena Collins
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 18 ratings‘Although I believe I will die here in this castle, my spirit will never be silent.’Ravenscraig Castle, Scotland. 1307When the castle she works in is sacked by the army of Prince Edward of England, kitchen maid Agnes Fitzgerald manages to escape north of Inverness to throw herself at the mercy of the Lord and Lady at Ravenscraig Castle...Categorized as:
historical-fiction family medieval magical-realism friendship romance historical fiction -
Serafina and the Twisted Staff by Robert Beatty, Lale Günseli Bayır
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsSerafina's defeat of the Man in the Black Cloak has brought her out of the shadows and into the daylight realm of her home, Biltmore Estate. Every night she visits her mother in the forest, eager to learn the ways of the catamount...Categorized as:
animals children family friendship historical-fiction magic action-adventure audiobook -
-
The Ruins of Gorlan by John Flanagan
Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars · 66 ratingsThey have always scared him in the past — the Rangers, with their dark cloaks and shadowy ways. The villagers believe the Rangers practice magic that makes them invisible to ordinary people. And now 15-year-old Will, always small for his age, has been chosen as a Ranger's apprentice. What he doesn't yet realize is that the Rangers are the protectors of the kingdom...Categorized as:
children coming-of-age family friendship historical-fiction magic medieval action-adventure -
Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children Boxed Set (Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children #1-3) by Ransom Riggs
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsThe New York Times #1 best selling series Includes 3 hardcover novels by Ransom Riggs and 12 collectible peculiar photographs. The movie adaptation of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children is in theaters December 2016...Categorized as:
children historical-fiction magic magical-realism action-adventure book drama fiction -
Spirit Walker by Michelle Paver
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsA cry echoed through the Forest. He froze. It was not the yowl of a vixen, or a lynx seeking a mate. It was a man. Or something that had once been a man. With a creeping sense of dread, Torak watched the light between the trees begin to fail. . . .Torak is a boy apart. A boy who can talk to wolves. A boy who must vanquish the Soul-Eaters . . . or die trying... -
Pony by R.J. Palacio
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsA story about a boy on a quest to rescue his father, with only a ghost as his companion, and a mysterious pony as his guide.Twelve-year-old Silas is awoken in the dead of night by three menacing horsemen who take his father away. Silas is left shaken, scared, and alone, except for the presence of his companion, Mittenwool . . . who happens to be a ghost... -
Serafina and the Splintered Heart by Robert Beatty, Битти Роберт
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsThe storms are coming.... Something has happened to Serafina. She has awoken into a darkness she does not understand, scarred from a terrible battle, only to find that life at Biltmore Estate has changed in unimaginable ways. Old friends do unthinkable things and enemies seem all around...Categorized as:
animals children friendship historical-fiction magic magical-realism action-adventure audiobook -
Bloodhound by Tamora Pierce
Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars · 42 ratingsBeka Cooper is no longer a Puppy. She's a Dog now - a full-fledged member of the Provost's Guard, which keeps the peace in Corus's streets. Beka's natural skills of observation and tenacity are augmented by her unusual magical talents, which allow her to gather information both from pigeons are from the eddies of dirt and dust that swirl on street corners...Categorized as:
animals coming-of-age friendship historical-fiction magic medieval action-adventure alpha-mc -
Fyre by Angie Sage
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 35 ratingsThe seventh book in the internationally bestselling Septimus Heap series by Angie Sage, featuring the funny and fantastic adventures of a wizard apprentice and his quest to become an ExtraOrdinary Wizard... -
Mastiff by Tamora Pierce
Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars · 40 ratingsThe Hunt is on!Three years have passed since Beka Cooper almost died in the sewers of Port Caynn, and she is now a respected member of the Provost's Guard. But her life takes an unexpected turn when her fiancé is killed on a slave raid. Beka is faced with a mixture of emotions as, unbeknownst to many, she was about to call the engagement off...Categorized as:
animals children coming-of-age friendship historical-fiction magic medieval warriors -
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: The Original Screenplay by J.K. Rowling
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 67 ratingsJ.K. Rowling's screenwriting debut is captured in this exciting hardcover edition of the Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them screenplay.When Magizoologist Newt Scamander arrives in New York, he intends his stay to be just a brief stopover...Categorized as:
animals children friendship historical-fiction magic magical-realism 21st-century action-adventure -
The Enchantress by Michael Scott
Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars · 44 ratingsThe two that are one must become the one that is all. One to save the world, one to destroy it.San Francisco:Nicholas and Perenelle Flamel have one day left to live, and one job left to do. They must defend San Francisco. The monsters gathered on Alcatraz Island have been released and are heading toward the city. If they are not stopped, they will destroy everyone and everything in their path...Categorized as:
children coming-of-age family friendship historical-fiction magic magical-realism action-adventure -
-
The Unmapped Sea by Maryrose Wood
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsFans of Lemony Snicket and the Mysterious Benedict Society books will devour the Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place series, about a governess and her three charges--children who have been raised by wolves.In The Interrupted Tale, the fourth title in the acclaimed and hilarious mystery series, Miss Penelope Lumley's sixteenth birthday is not quite sweet...Categorized as:
animals children family friendship historical-fiction action-adventure alpha-mc audiobook -
The Crown of Embers by Rae Carson
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 47 ratingsShe does not know what awaits her at the enemy's gate.Elisa is a hero. She led her people to victory over a terrifying, sorcerous army. Her place as the country's ruler should be secure. But it isn't.Her enemies come at her like ghosts in a dream, from both foreign realms and within her own court. And her destiny as the chosen one has not yet been fulfilled...Categorized as:
coming-of-age friendship historical-fiction magic medieval religion spirituality action-adventure -
A Cast of Stones by Patrick W. Carr
Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsThe Fate of the Kingdom Awaits the Cast of Stones In the backwater village of Callowford, roustabout Errol Stone is enlisted by a church messenger arriving with urgent missives for the hermit priest in the hills. Eager for coin, Errol agrees to what he thinks will be an easy task, but soon finds himself hunted by deadly assassins...Categorized as:
christian coming-of-age historical-fiction magic medieval spirituality action-adventure book -
The Water Ruptures by D.K. Holmberg
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThe Disciples of the Draasin Lord have again been defeated, yet a traitor remains within Terndahl. The Inquisitors have come, and their presence has everyone on edge.With the help of the Keystone, Tolan has discovered the ability to shape each of the element bonds. Now that he’s passed testing to the second level at the Academy, he finally feels as if he belongs... -
The Devil's Pawn by Oliver Pötzsch
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsA showman’s fate is in the hands of the devil in an enthralling novel inspired by the Faust legend from the bestselling author of the Hangman’s Daughter series.Rome, 1518. The church is tarnished by greed. Peasants are rebelling. Tumultuous times demand drastic recourse—before the devil gets his due...Categorized as:
historical-fiction medieval religion spirituality action-adventure audiobook book crime -
Root Magic by Eden Royce
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsA historical ghost story set in South Carolina in the 1960s—a tale of courage, friendship, and Black Girl Magic.It’s 1963, and things are changing for Jezebel Turner. Her beloved grandmother has just passed away. The local police deputy won’t stop harassing her family...Categorized as:
bullying children coming-of-age family friendship historical-fiction magic magical-realism -
The Long-Lost Home by Maryrose Wood
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsUnhappy Penelope Lumley is trapped in unhappy Plinkst! Even the beets for which Plinkst is inexplicably famous fail to grow in this utterly miserable Russian village...Categorized as:
animals children family historical-fiction magical-realism action-adventure audiobook book -
The 1000 Year Old Boy by Ross Welford
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsA heartstopping, poignant, epic adventure story about a boy destined to live forever, who only wants to grow up. Without death, life is just existence.Have you ever wondered what it would be like to live forever? Well, Alfie Monk can tell you...Categorized as:
animals bullying children coming-of-age family friendship historical-fiction journey -
Terrier by Tamora Pierce
Rated: 4.15 of 5 stars · 53 ratingsHundreds of years before Alanna first drew her sword in Tamora Pierce's memorable debut, Alanna: The First Adventure, Tortall had a heroine named Beka Cooper - a fierce young woman who fights crime in a world of magic. This is the beginning of her story, her legend, and her legacy...Categorized as:
animals children coming-of-age friendship historical-fiction magic medieval action-adventure -
The Inquisitor's Tale: Or, the Three Magical Children and Their Holy Dog by Adam Gidwitz, Hatem Aly
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 24 ratings1242. On a dark night, travelers from across France cross paths at an inn and begin to tell stories of three children. Their adventures take them on a chase through France: they are taken captive by knights, sit alongside a king, and save the land from a farting dragon...Categorized as:
animals children christian family friendship historical-fiction magic magical-realism -
-
The Blackthorn Key by Kevin Sands
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 24 ratings“Tell no one what I’ve given you.”Until he got that cryptic warning, Christopher Rowe was happy, learning how to solve complex codes and puzzles and creating powerful medicines, potions, and weapons as an apprentice to Master Benedict Blackthorn—with maybe an explosion or two along the way...Categorized as:
children friendship historical-fiction magic medieval religion spirituality action-adventure -
The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 68 ratingsChava is a golem, a creature made of clay, brought to life by a disgraced rabbi who dabbles in dark Kabbalistic magic, created to be the wife of a man who dies at sea on the voyage from Poland. Chava is unmoored and adrift as the ship arrives in New York harbor in 1899... -
DragonKnight by Donita K. Paul
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsReturn to the land of dragons and magic you discovered in Dragonspell and DragonQuest, in this finely crafted and memorable work of fantasy fiction with a core of eternal truth.Trapped in an evil spell... can the knights of Paladin be rescued?Before vowing his allegiance to Wulder as a knight, Bardon heads to the mountains for solitude... -
DragonFire by Donita K. Paul
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsThree years of strife have passed since Kale and Bardon freed Paladin's knights. Now, fiery dragons scorch their beautiful countryside as an evil husband-and-wife wizard duo battle one another for supremacy. The people of Amara just want to be left alone, hoping the conflict with disappear... -
暁の円卓 2情熱の歳月 [Jōnetsu No Saigetsu] by Ralf Isau
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsBorn in 1900, David Camden lived for 100 years, and this series of four fantasy novels uses his life to recount the achievements of the 20th century through fantasy worlds, ancient myths, sagas, and legends. Camden's life mission is to oppose The Twilight Circlepica de un hombre contra fuerzas antiguas y poderosas...Categorized as:
children historical-fiction magic action-adventure book children-books fiction heroic-fantasy -
Season of Glory by Lisa Tawn Bergren
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsIn the third and final volume of the Remnants series—Seasons of Glory—the power of the Remnants and their people are growing, threatening Pacifica’s careful plans for domination. Among the Trading Union, village after village, outpost after outpost, and city after city are drawn to people of the Way, and agree to stand against those who hunt them...Categorized as:
angels children christian coming-of-age religion spirituality action-adventure audiobook -
Byzantium by Stephen R. Lawhead
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsAlthough born to rule, Aidan lives as a scribe in a remote Irish Monastery on the far, wild edge of Christendom. Secure in work, contemplation, and dreams of the wider world, a miracle bursts into Aidan's quiet life... -
Cosmic Christmas by Max Lucado
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsWas the birth of Jesus a quietly profound event? Or could it have included heavenly battles, angel armies, and a scheming Satan? Come along as Lucado takes us on a journey into his imagination-pulling back the curtain as we see what might have taken place on "Cosmic Christmas...Categorized as:
christian historical-fiction religion spirituality action-adventure adult audiobook book -
The Time of the Fireflies by Kimberley Griffiths Little
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsCritically acclaimed author Kimberley Griffiths Little spins a thrilling story of one girl's race to unravel the curse that has haunted her family for generations. When Larissa Renaud starts receiving eerie phone calls on a disconnected old phone in her family's antique shop, she knows she's in for a strange summer...Categorized as:
children family friendship historical-fiction magic magical-realism action-adventure book -
Library of Souls by Ransom Riggs
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 69 ratingsA boy with extraordinary powers. An army of deadly monsters. An epic battle for the future of peculiardom.The adventure that began with Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children and continued in Hollow City comes to a thrilling conclusion with Library of Souls... -
-
The Celestial Globe by Marie Rutkoski
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsAfter stealing her father’s eyes back from Prince Rodolfo, Petra Kronos lives in constant danger. She and her tin spider, Astrophil, end up hiding out in London, where she learns more about her magical abilities. London has its charms (like Petra’s attractive fencing master), but Petra needs to get back to Bohemia and her father...Categorized as:
children family friendship historical-fiction magic quest action-adventure alternate-history -
Star Cursed by Jessica Spotswood
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsWith the Brotherhood persecuting witches like never before, a divided Sisterhood desperately needs Cate to come into her Prophesied powers. And after Cate's friend Sachi is arrested for using magic, a war-thirsty Sister offers to help her find answers—if Cate is willing to endanger everyone she loves...Categorized as:
family friendship historical-fiction magic religion spirituality 20th-century action-adventure -
Princess of the Silver Woods by Jessica Day George
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsWhen Petunia, the youngest of King Gregor's twelve dancing daughters, is invited to visit an elderly friend in the neighboring country of Westfalin, she welcomes the change of scenery. But in order to reach Westfalin, Petunia must pass through a forest where strange two-legged wolves are rumored to exist...Categorized as:
children coming-of-age family friendship historical-fiction magic medieval action-adventure -
A Swiftly Tilting Planet by Madeleine L'Engle
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 67 ratingsIn this companion volume to A Wrinkle In Time (Newbery Award winner) and A Wind In The Door fifteen-year-old Charles Wallace and the unicorn Gaudior undertake a perilous journey through time in a desperate attempt to stop the destruction of the world by the mad dictator Madog Branzillo. They are not alone in their quest...Categorized as:
children christian coming-of-age family historical-fiction magic magical-realism religion -
Found by Sarah Prineas
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 33 ratingsNever turn your back on a dragon! Sneaking out of prison isn't easy, unless you are a thief, or a wizard. Luckily, Conn is both! Trouble is, once he's out, where does he go? His home is a pile of rubble since he blew it up doing magic. His master, the wizard Nevery, is not happy with him. Worst of all, Conn's been exiled, and staying in the city will mean his death... -
Leviathan by Robert McCammon
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsIt is August of 1704, and Matthew Corbett and his companions have narrowly escaped the island of Golgotha and are recuperating in the town of Alghero on the northwestern coast of Sardinia, currently under Spanish rule. Hudson Greathouse is at his limits, both mentally and physically, after their harrowing ordeal...Categorized as:
historical-fiction christian spirituality horror fiction mystery action-adventure fantasy -
The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 81 ratingsWill is the bearer of the knife. Now, accompanied by angels, his task is to deliver that powerful, dangerous weapon to Lord Asriel - by the command of his dying father.But how can he go looking for Lord Asriel when Lyra is gone? Only with her help can he fathom the myriad plots and intrigues that beset him... -
The Martyr's Song by Ted Dekker
Rated: 4.15 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsWhat would you die for?That's the question suddenly thrust upon a small band of women and children in Bosnia at the close of World War II. When a group of bitter soldiers stumble upon their peaceful village, they suddenly face an insidious evil...and the ultimate test.It is then, in the midst of chaos and pain that the Martyr's Song is first heard...Categorized as:
christian historical-fiction religion spirituality 20th-century action-adventure audiobook book -
The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 69 ratingsIn a sprawling mansion filled with peculiar treasures, January Scaller is a curiosity herself. As the ward of the wealthy Mr. Locke, she feels little different from the artifacts that decorate the halls: carefully maintained, largely ignored, and utterly out of place.Then she finds a strange book...Categorized as:
coming-of-age family friendship historical-fiction magic magical-realism action-adventure audiobook -
The Queen's Poisoner by Jeff Wheeler
Rated: 4.09 of 5 stars · 42 ratingsKing Severn Argentine’s fearsome reputation precedes him: usurper of the throne, killer of rightful heirs, ruthless punisher of traitors. Attempting to depose him, the Duke of Kiskaddon gambles…and loses. Now the duke must atone by handing over his young son, Owen, as the king’s hostage. And should his loyalty falter again, the boy will pay with his life... -
-
Theodosia and the Eyes of Horus by R.L. LaFevers
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsBeing able to detect black magic isn’t all tea and crumpets—and for Theodosia Throckmorton, it can be a decidedly tricky business! When Sticky Will drags Theo to a magic show featuring the Great Awi Bubu, she quickly senses there is more to the magician than he lets on, setting in motion a chain of events she never could have bargained for...Categorized as:
animals children family friendship historical-fiction magic medieval action-adventure -
Rise of the Wolf by Jennifer A. Nielsen
Rated: 4.12 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsA powerful amulet. A vengeful goddess. A deadly quest.Nic may have escaped enslavement in the mines outside of Rome, but his troubles are far from over. The Praetor War—the battle to destroy Rome from within—is in full force, and Nic is caught in the crossfire. The secretive Praetors are determined to unlock a powerful amulet—one sure to bring the empire to its knees...Categorized as:
animals children family friendship historical-fiction magic action-adventure ancient-civilization -
Der weiße Wanderer by Ralf Isau
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsBorn in 1900, David Camden lived for 100 years, and this series of four fantasy novels uses his life to recount the achievements of the 20th century through fantasy worlds, ancient myths, sagas, and legends. Camden's life mission is to oppose The Twilight Circlepica de un hombre contra fuerzas antiguas y poderosas...Categorized as:
children historical-fiction magic action-adventure book children-books fiction historical -
Dragonfly Song by Wendy Orr
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThe girl has had many selves in her short life. The first she remembers is Aissa, the daughter of Mama and Dada, sister to Zufi who watched the goats. Then the Bull King's raiders came, and Mama said, -Don't make a sound till I come back.- And when the villagers found her she was silent as stone, because Mama never come back again...Categorized as:
animals children friendship historical-fiction magic religion spirituality action-adventure -
Rose and the Silver Ghost by Holly Webb
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsTime has flown since Rose left the orphanage behind, and she loves her new family at Mr Fountain's magical house. But she still can't help wondering - what happened to her real family? Were they full of magic too, like her? Then Rose discovers a clue to the mystery: a silver mirror which once belonged to her mother. A mirror with a ghost..Categorized as:
children coming-of-age family historical-fiction magic action-adventure book children-books -
The Crowfield Demon by Pat Walsh
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsWhat lies beneath?Things are not right at Crowfield Abbey. The building has begun to crumble. And what Will finds beneath the floor of the side chapel is truly terrifying...Categorized as:
children historical-fiction magic medieval religion spirituality action-adventure audiobook
Or - use our amazing romance book finder to get recommendations based on your favorite content tropes and themes. Mix and match at will.